Essential Eligibility Criteria

In order to address the needs of students at The Bridge School, we have established the following Essential Eligibility Criteria that must be met for further consideration of your application by our Intake Team:

1. The student must have complex communication needs associated with severe speech and physical impairment. In other words:
   • The student requires the use of a modality other than natural speech as a primary communication mode to meet daily communication needs.
   • The student’s primary diagnoses includes orthopedic impairment.

2. The student’s chronological age must be at least 3 years of age at the time of projected initial enrollment. We are certified by the State of California to serve students who are in preschool through grade 5.

3. The child’s age, gender, skill and ability profile must fit the specifications for the anticipated classroom opening(s).
   • Each year, we select eligible applicants who most closely fit the student profiles that have been determined for the available classroom openings and projected instructional groupings.
   • Due to our mission and the design of our education program, we are unable to consider applications for students with the following characteristics or learning needs:
     • Challenging behaviors that require a formal behavior plan and/or would significantly impact classroom management and participation of other students.
     • Diagnoses or behaviors that require an educational approach not offered at Bridge School or would be better met in an educational setting other than Bridge School including autism, severe/profound hearing impairment, severe visual impairment that is primary over other diagnoses, pre-intentional behavior and pre-intentional communication.
     • Health conditions/medical care needs that cannot be met by current Bridge School staff or would require additional specialized medical judgment/expertise to be safely and properly addressed in our educational setting.

Using the above criteria, once we have determined that an applicant is an eligible candidate, the application is referred for full review using our Additional Selection Considerations.

Unfortunately, we are unable to make specific recommendations for educational placements and related services for students who do not attend The Bridge School. Our application review process is intended solely for the purpose of recommending students for enrollment at The Bridge School.